Pig Farming

Pig Welfare 2026 Final

The final 2026 pig welfare review captures the year's progress, acknowledges persistent challenges, and sets the frame for 2027 priorities.

Key Facts

EU Farm Animal Welfare Platform advanced pig welfare guidelines in 2026
Commercial farrowing crate alternatives expanded significantly in Netherlands and Sweden
Precision monitoring adoption increased on UK pig farms through assurance incentives
Global south pig welfare remains largely unregulated despite production growth
Consumer demand for higher-welfare pork continued growing in premium European markets

Welfare Considerations

Pig welfare in 2026 represents the best year of progress for pig welfare in history - and that progress is still inadequate given the scale of ongoing suffering. This paradox defines the welfare challenge: each advance is genuine and significant, yet the total amount of pig suffering in the world remains enormous. Sustaining the motivation for continued effort requires both celebrating genuine progress and maintaining honest reckoning with what remains to be done.

What You Can Do

Celebrate 2026 pig welfare progress while maintaining focus on what remains
Support organisations working on pig welfare across all production systems globally
Make welfare-positive choices consistently rather than occasionally